Willy Widdershins

Willy Widdershins was a Wizard known for his minor criminal activities and for acting as an informant for the Ministry of Magic. His most notable act was enchanting Muggle toilets to regurgitate their contents, a crime for which he was apprehended in 1995. He later provided Dolores Umbridge with information about the formation meeting of Dumbledore's Army in exchange for having his charges dropped.

In the summer of 1995, Willy Widdershins was the perpetrator behind a series of regurgitating toilets that plagued the Wizarding world. Arthur Weasley, in his capacity as head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, was heavily involved in investigating these incidents. Widdershins was eventually caught after one of his enchanted toilets backfired on him, causing him significant injuries. On 5 October 1995, a heavily bandaged Widdershins was present at the Hog's Head inn during the secret meeting organized by Hermione Granger to form a student defence group. Harry Potter recognized his name from hearing Arthur Weasley discuss the case. It was later revealed by Dolores Umbridge that Widdershins had informed on the meeting. In return for this information, Umbridge ensured that all charges against Widdershins were dropped, allowing him to escape punishment for his toilet scheme.

When seen at the Hog's Head, Widdershins was described as being heavily bandaged about the head. This was a direct result of one of his own illegal Charms backfiring on him. Widdershins appears to be an opportunistic and untrustworthy individual. He engaged in petty magical crime and, when caught, readily betrayed the secret Hog's Head meeting to the authorities to save himself. His association with figures like Mundungus Fletcher suggests he moved in roguish wizarding circles.

• Charms: Widdershins was capable of placing complex Charms on Muggle objects to make them behave in unusual ways, specifically making toilets regurgitate. However, his skills were imperfect, as evidenced by the fact that one of his own enchantments backfired and injured him.

No specific possessions of Willy Widdershins are mentioned in the novels, though he presumably owned a wand.

• Dolores Umbridge: Widdershins served as an informant for Umbridge, providing her with the names of those who attended the initial Dumbledore's Army meeting. This was a purely transactional relationship, with Widdershins gaining his freedom in exchange for the information.
• Arthur Weasley: As the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, Arthur Weasley was responsible for investigating and apprehending Widdershins. There was no personal connection between them.
• Mundungus Fletcher: Mundungus Fletcher was aware of Widdershins and claimed to have received a “tip-off” from him, suggesting they were acquaintances who operated in similar semi-legal spheres.

• The name Willy is a common diminutive for William.
• The surname Widdershins is a word of Germanic origin, meaning to move counter-clockwise, against the sun's path. In folklore, moving “widdershins” is often associated with bad luck, dark Magic, or things going awry. This aptly describes a character who causes objects to malfunction and who acts against the protagonists' cause.

Willy Widdershins does not appear in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and his role as the informant who betrays the first Dumbledore's Army meeting is omitted. In the film, Cho Chang is coerced under the influence of Veritaserum into revealing the group's existence, a significant departure from the novel's plot (film).